Lost in an Unforgiving World
by datAHguy
Summary: A boy finds himself accidentally thrust into the world of RWBY by unknown forces, and must find a way to survive and make his way back home, while the forces of evil set their sights on him for something he holds that they crave more than anything. Will this boy make it back, or will he end up lost in an unforgiving world?


**Well… Hello there. For those of you who have not read my other story, you can pretty much ignore this and continue on. For those of you who have… I did say I was planning something else. This was that something else. To be honest, I wasn't very keen on writing this, because I'm usually against OC stories. I feel that they are a way for people to put themselves into something they like, and if shipping is involved… well you get what I mean. However I did like this idea for a story, and I finally decided to write the first chapter to see how it does. If it starts to do well, I will keep writing, but don't trust my consistency. I took me over a month to get around to writing the last two scenes. So, if you could leave a review to help me decide whether or not to continue this or not that would be wonderful. Thank you!**

* * *

><p>Run. That was all the boy thought to do. It was all he really <em>could <em>do. He had no weapons, no armor, nothing. And those things… he swore they looked like Beowolves, were still chasing him. But that couldn't be right, Beowolves didn't exist. They were part of a fiction, and fiction wasn't real. Those beasts looked pretty real though.

The boy didn't even know how he'd gotten there. He'd been going for a walk through the woods behind his house when he stumbled upon a cave. They cave was covered with odd markings that made no sense. However, upon investigating them and actually making contact, a brilliant white light flashed before his eyes and he passed out. When he awoke, he was in a different forest, with those creatures approaching fast. So he ran. It was his only natural defense.

Running wasn't hard for him either. He had been an all-state wide receiver at his high school despite only being a junior, an all-state midfielder in lacrosse, and he ran track in his spare time. On those teams he was always the fastest person and had a lot of endurance. Endurance, however, wouldn't help in this situation, as he had no idea where he was or where he was going. If he couldn't find help or a way out, those things were likely to catch up with him. Also, the forest was filled with hazards and it was dark, he could trip or run into something worse at any time.

After about five minutes, fatigue began to wear at him. He hadn't had as much trouble with navigating as he had thought, but doing some parkour in his free time as well had helped, as he could make certain jumps and directional changes others couldn't. But now his movements were getting slow and sluggish. The things were getting closer. He could see their eyes in the tree line behind him. He knew that he was done for.

He took one last glance back to gauge their position, which was a huge mistake. Before he could turn back around, his foot caught on a branch and he fell. He flipped onto his back and began edging towards the tree, trying to get as far away as possible. The beasts made it into the clearing he was in and began stalking closer. Now that he had a good look, he could see that they _were_ Beowolves. But how was that possible?

One began prowling closer to him, its jaws dripping with saliva. It was growling softly, its eyes filled with hunger. As it loomed right over him, the boy hoped this was a dream. Then, not believing it was, began to see his life flash before his eyes. He thought he had lived a good life, but there was so much more he wanted to do. The creature widened it jaws to take a big bite, and the boy said a final thanks and closed his eyes.

_Zing! POP!_

Realizing he hadn't been bitten yet, the boy opened his eyes. The wolf had an odd expression on its face. Then, it became limp and fell to his left. He looked at himself and saw he was covered in blood. Some was the wolves', but some was actually his. In his shock, he hadn't felt its claws in his leg. Finally feeling the burn, he looked at the monster. It had a bullet hole right in its head. _But who had shot it?_ He wondered.

Seeing the one dead, all the creatures became on edge. Then shots began ringing out from out of his line of sight. They began dropping like flies before him. Help had finally arrived, but who was it? Were they friendly or not?

Once the last wolf had fallen, he heard a voice call out.

"Hey, are you ok?

The boy frowned. He was pretty sure he recognized the voice, but there was no way that it could be who he thought it was, and he didn't have the strength to answer. Suddenly, a figure appeared in his vision. It was a girl, he could tell by her frame, but she was covered by a red cloak. Wait, red cloak, the familiar voice, and Beowolves. He knew who it was. She pulled the hood off of her head, revealing a familiar face. But how? She didn't exist. Real or not, the girl was right in front of him.

She tried speaking to him again, but he couldn't hear any words. Before he could try to respond, the boy passed out, his last sight was a worried expression on her face.

* * *

><p>When he woke up, everything was white. No wait, the room was just very bright and the walls and ceiling were white. Then, he noticed some presences in the room. He sat up and looked around. Standing in the room were what appeared to be a nurse, and five very familiar people. It was four girls and an older man. They were Team RWBY, and the headmaster of Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin. But how was this possible? They were part of a show created by RoosterTeeth. They didn't exist in real life. But here they were in the flesh and blood standing right in front of him. It didn't make any sense.<p>

The boy realized they were all staring at him, waiting for him to say something. Except that he didn't know what to say. He wasn't about to tell these people that they didn't exist or that they are characters in an online show. They would think he was insane and institutionalize him. The boy decided acting like an amnesiac would be the best solution.

He spoke, he voice broken. "Where… where am I?"

Ruby smiled, glad to see him responding. "You're safe now. You're in the Beacon Academy Infirmary, recovering from your injuries."

He swallowed hard. So it was true. Somehow, he was in Remnant. It still made no sense, how could he be somewhere that didn't exist, with fictional characters? The boy decided to try to pry for some more facts.

"How did I get here?"

They all turned to Ruby, who shrugged.

"I found you hurt in the woods being chased by Beowolves. I killed them, and before I could ask you any questions, you passed out. So we brought you back to Beacon so you could heal. We were hoping you could provide some more info on how you got there."

He shook his head. "I have no idea how I got there, where I am, or where I'm from."

Ozpin frowned. "Do you know your name?"

The boy nodded. Better to be addressed by his actual name.

"It's James."

They paused. "Last name?"

James didn't see a point to telling them. They could try to do research if he did and they would find nothing, which would be suspicious. He shook his head.

Ozpin sighed. "Very well. At least we know your name. Figuring out what you were doing there or where you're from could take time, or it may not even happen, but we can hope."

Blake stepped forward. "Were you possibly training to be a huntsman?"

James titled his head. "Huh?"

She scratched her chin. "Well, you look young enough to still be in combat school, and Ruby described how you ran and moved around with true athleticism, something a normal person wouldn't do. You could have possibly been training to fight monsters."

James looked into the distance, pretending to think about it. "Well, I am 16, and you all look about 17 except for her," he pointed to Ruby "so I'd assume you have to be 17 to get in here. But fighting monsters? I don't know."

Ozpin clapped his hands together, grabbing everyone's attention. "I guess we won't be gaining any more info for now, so I recommend you let James rest and get back to classes and take your mind off of this for a while." He gave James a suspicious look. "Come on, let's go."

They all cleared out except for Yang, who continued to stare at him. He pretended not to see her, looking out the window. She seemed to want to say something, but decided against it and walked out.

James faced back forward and let out a long breath. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath at the ending. He wasn't sure what to do now except stay in character, and maybe they would find something for him to do. If he gained their trust, maybe, just maybe, he could tell them what really happened. Then he could get home.

* * *

><p>When he woke up later, his leg was throbbing. He still remembered that quick pain of having claws in his leg. He figured that he could walk if needed, and the look Ozpin gave him earlier made him nervous. It was a look of concern, mixed with suspicion and knowing. He felt Ozpin knew more than he was letting on, but the Professor made no mention of anything.<p>

Also Yang gave him a weird look. He really wasn't sure what it was for. James literally just got here and couldn't have made any kind of impression on anyone, but she was just staring at him. James could feel it wasn't a friendly look either.

His room was empty, everyone having gone to attend to their lives at Beacon. He decided to test the limits of his leg to see if he could investigate the campus. If he was in a world that was circled around the world one of his favorite shows was about, he might as well explore.

He stood up and looked down. He was wearing a simple hospital gown, definitely not suitable for wandering the halls of Beacon. He looked in the corner on a chair and there was his shirt and pants. He was wearing his "People like Grapes" shirt and a simple pair of basketball shorts. Good thing he hadn't been wearing any of his RWBY shirts because that would have been odd. He picked up the clothes, put them on, and stepped outside.

His leg was bothering him, but he ignored it. Obviously he stood out, but he was hoping most people would in their classrooms and he could explore unnoticed. However James quickly realized he made a mistake. He may have seen some pictures of Beacon from the show, but he had no idea where he was going. Asking for other people for directions would be a bad idea, and he was luckily or unluckily right about no one being in the hallways.

He was pacing around when he came to a window, he saw that he was on the first floor. He looked around and saw the front door, using its location as a way to navigate. He found his way to the front door and walked outside. He took a deep breath of the air and gazed into the distance. It was right there that it really occurred to him where he was and what was going on.

He began asking himself a bunch of questions. Was time moving at the same rate as what was happening back home? Did that mean his parents were worried? Were his friends worried? Were they searching for him? What was going on? How was he going to get home?

Questions were flowing through his head, giving James a headache. He was grass, which was convenient, because he head hurt so much that he fell backward and just sat there for a while. He sat there for a couple of minutes before he heard footsteps approaching. Worried, he whirled around to see Yang walking towards him. He knew it couldn't be good and tried to stand.

When he couldn't get up, he noticed a hand pop into frame. He looked up and saw Yang giving him a look of pity.

"Here."

He took her hand and she pulled him up. He stumbled back a little and looked at Yang, trying to read her expression. When he found nothing, never being good with understanding feelings, he straightened up and waited for her to speak.

"What are you doing up and about? Aren't you supposed to be resting?"

He looked back out into the world. "I don't know. I'm thinking. Searching. Trying to find answers to anything. I just want an explanation. It's tough."

Yang turned to look in the same direction. "I can sort of understand. You're looking for knowledge you can't find on your own, but hoping there is a chance you can. It's like an impossible quest that you go on anyways."

A short silence followed, and James scratched his head. "So what did you want?"

She gave him a quizzical look. "Huh?"

He smiled. "I can tell you want something. You stayed in the room earlier and stared at me, and it may have seemed I didn't notice you were there, but I have good peripheral vision. And the fact you came out here to help me means you want something. So what is it?"

She paused, taking this in, and then grinned. "Alright, I just wanted to inform you of something. Despite us knowing nothing about you, I have a sisterly instinct that Ruby has a good amount of respect for you. She wants to help you find out who you are and see if you really are trying to be a huntsman. She also wants to know the cause of your amnesia. Ruby is a nice girl and is willing to help anyone she can."

Yang looked back at the school. "Now, I don't exactly know what to think of you. For some reason, I get the feeling that you could be holding something back from us. I wouldn't understand why, and in fact I could be wrong, but I just hope you don't let my sister down. She's very interested in you."

James whipped around to face her, a look of confusion on his face. Noticing the movement, Yang shifted her gaze to him, and upon seeing the look, thought about what she had said. Immediately, her face registered alarm and she began waving her hands to dismiss that.

"No, no, no! Not like that! I mean… she wants to understand more about you! No wait, that's not right! Oh… nevermind! Ruby wouldn't understand that feeling anyways, she's as innocent as they come. She hasn't matured enough yet."

James sighed in relief. Attachment was not something he wanted to run into while he was here. If there was any way to get home, he wanted to take it without looking back. Attachment would make him second guess leaving. He liked the characters of RWBY and enjoyed watching them on a show, but starting a relationship with them? That seemed a little ridiculous. He was not a fan of shipping that occurred on the internet. It just seemed weird.

James started walking back to the academy, and Yang jogged to catch up with him.

"Where are you going?"

He chuckled. "Back to where I'm supposed to be. Hopefully no one noticed and I won't get in trouble. You wouldn't tell anyone, right?"

Yang smiled. "Not a soul."

He reached out his hand and she shook it, and they went their separate ways.

* * *

><p>As he walked back, James thought about what Yang had said. He had been intimidated by the way she had been acting, but turns out, she had her sister's interests at heart. Now with that out of the way, his mind was a little more at ease. He felt Yang had gained a little more trust in him, which was good. Now he needed to befriend everyone else before he could begin his search.<p>

He somehow found his way back to his room, managing to slip inside just as most of the classes were letting out. He sat back down on his bed and leaned back on the pillow. His leg was still throbbing, and he was hoping that he could ask for some medicine. However he felt the odds of someone appearing now was slim.

He thought about the circumstances of where he was right now. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Why was he at Beacon recovering? For any normal person, wouldn't they have just brought him to a hospital and had the police deal with him, especially since he had "amnesia"? That hadn't happened, though. Obviously, Ozpin had been the one who wanted to keep him here. For what reason, James had no idea. He just assumed the headmaster knew a lot more than he was letting on.

James was lost in thought about what was going on when he was surprised to hear a knock on the door. He called out to whoever it was.

"Come in…"

The door opened and Ruby walked in, holding a mug of coffee and a plate of cookies. She placed both on the bedside table and smiled. She sat down in the chair that was facing the chair. While James was not a fan of coffee… or any hot drinks for that matter, he appreciated the gesture and said thank you. He did, however, pick up a cookie and start munching on it.

He was never one for conversation, despite how "popular" he was back in school. He was a star athlete and very smart person, so everyone liked him. He was very about social situations, though, preferring small events with four or less friends or just being by himself. He had plenty of friends, but he didn't like all of them. This combined with Ruby's not very social personality made for a very awkward situation.

He decided to speak to break the silence.

"What's up Ruby?"

She had been looking down, poking her fingers together, but when she heard his voice, she looked up.

"Hmm?"

"Well, you came here for something. What is it?"

Ruby tapped her chin. "Well, I wanted to see how you're doing."

James titled his head. "Really?"

She nodded. "I found you and I was the one who saved you, so I feel somewhat responsible for your well-being. That responsibility makes me really want to help you."

He chuckled. "Anything else?"

She looked confused. "Huh?"

He laughed to himself. _Just like her sister._

"I can tell you have more reasons. What are they?"

She looked a little nervous. "Well, I know what it's like to lose someone close to you, so I'm worried about your friends and family, and how they must feel."

_Summer_

James caught his breath. He had almost said her name out loud. And if he had said the name of Ruby's deceased mother, that would have been very hard to explain. Now that her understood her motives better, James felt bad for Ruby.

However, her face immediately changed to happiness, surprising the boy. She jumped up and grabbed his hand, dragging him out of the bed. She was strong for her size and age. She flung the door open and began marching out. James wasn't necessarily in need of rest, but he wasn't in the mood to go anywhere.

"Uh- uh… Ruby… What are you doing and where are you taking me?"

She smiled back at him. "Well, earlier when Blake said that it was a possibility that you were training to be a huntsman before you lost your memory, I agreed with her. So she and I figured why not test you to see if that's the truth? Obviously you don't have your own weapon, but we can get you a simple one."

James began to sweat. "Ruby, I really don't think this is a good idea."

She chuckled. "Nonsense! This will be great!"

They were already halfway across the courtyard headed to the training area, and there was nothing he could do. She had an iron grip and had her mind set on this plan. James swallowed hard, anticipating that he was about to be a recipient of a lot of pain.

* * *

><p>Professor Ozpin was standing in his office at the top of the tower observing his academy before him. There had certainly been some strange events occurring that day, but he couldn't think too much of it, with the second semester approaching in two days and the Vytal festival later on in the year.<p>

However, something was really bothering him. A prophecy he had heard long ago. It was a very grim one, but at the time, it was nothing to worry about. The prophecy had spoken of a great weapon that had the ability to destroy the world. That weapon had actually been discovered by the White Fang, but they were unable to use it. The second half of the prophecy stated that it could only be powered by an energy source not present in the world of Remnant. That's why it had never been used before.

James gave him some worries though. When Ozpin had spoken with him earlier, he did indeed seem, not of this world. His style of dress, for one thing, was very odd. Why own a shirt that says "People like grapes"? Yeah, everyone likes grapes. Also, despite his claims to be suffering from amnesia, Ozpin could tell he was hiding something. But why? What could he possibly be hiding?

To make it all worse was there was an even more problematic question that was unanswered. The whole reason Ruby had been present in the woods that night was because Ozpin had sent her after he had detected a strange energy surge somewhere around there. Ruby had been the closet person, so he sent her to look for anything suspicious. However, instead she came back with James. This energy was like no other he had seen. And if he had been able to detect it, others were able too also.

Something going on outside caught his eye and he shifted his gaze towards it, grabbing a pair of binoculars. When he looked through, he could see Ruby dragging James towards the training area. _Oh dear_. He thought. This would not turn out well. Ozpin decided that he'd better go deal with this. It would be a good thing to not have their new arrival killed.

* * *

><p><em>Earlier<em>

"It's gone sir. The surge disappeared and our team was unable to find anything."

He could see the man began to seethe with rage. Reporting failure to him was not a good idea.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" The man swung his cane around in anger.

"Can you mutts do anything right!" The man who reported it began shaking with fear.

"My apologies sir. It seems Cinder wants a status report on what happened. What should I tell her?"

Roman Torchwick rubbed his temples, trying to focus. She would not be happy with the news. If only these White Fang members weren't so useless. He began pacing around, figuring what to say.

"Tell her… Tell her that our team was unable to acquire the resources. And that means whatever it was, those upstarts at Beacon academy probably got to first. That means they hold what we need."

He walked back to his desk, sat down, pulled out a cigar, and lit it. _Guess this complicates things a bit. We may have to stage an assault on Beacon. Or, we could get someone on the inside._

His thoughts were interrupted by a beeping. It was Cinder. And it looked like she had a plan.


End file.
